New row in BA cabin crew dispute

A row has erupted between union leaders over the running of the bitter British Airways cabin crew after the airline's boss pledged to run a near-full service if more strikes are held.

Tony Woodley, joint leader of Unite, attacked comments by a candidate for the job of general secretary, warning they had made the chances of ending the year-long row more difficult.

He was responding to a newspaper interview given by Les Bayliss, who told the Guardian that he believed Unite had lost the dispute a long time ago.

He reportedly said: "It has been disastrous. It has lowered our standing and reputation. We need to make sure it never happens again."

Mr Woodley said the comments were a "disgrace", especially at such a "sensitive" moment as he prepared to brief cabin crew representatives on the latest efforts to break the deadlock.

"This is playing the company's game and will make securing a resolution more difficult. This could have been written by Tory Central Office."

Mr Woodley told thousands of trade union activists at an anti-cuts rally in Central London: "One of the wits in the election for general secretary does not think we should be fighting back."

Outside the rally, Mr Woodley said the BA row was the most testing industrial dispute of his career, adding that the comments were "nothing short of scandalous", especially on the day of the meeting with cabin crew reps. Mr Bayliss is one of four candidates standing for election as general secretary of Unite, with voting starting this weekend.

Asked about Mr Walsh's statement while addressing the annual convention of travel organisation Abta in Malta, Mr Woodley replied: "Willie Walsh continues to play the hard man. The important thing is to look towards a dignified and honourable settlement to this difficult dispute."

Mr Walsh said it was "entirely" the fault of Unite that the dispute had dragged on for 12 months, adding that changes to working practices should have been tackled 10 years ago.